Strainer cabinet



Nov. 24, 1953 E. T. JAMES STRAINER CABINET Filed July 21, 1949 Ernest Z James INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE STRAINER CABINET Ernest T. James, Austin, Tex.

Application July 21, 1949, Serial No. 105,947

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in strainer cabinets for liquid food fats.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved strainer cabinet for liquid food fats having a. plurality of strainers and a compartment for each strainer, whereby different kinds of fats or greases may be strained to remove solids and foreign matter therefrom and separated, collected and stored.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved strainer cabinet including a strainer box for different kinds of liquid fats, a base larger than the box and a drawer having individual compartments for receiving the strained liquids from the box slidable in the base from under the box for inspection and removal of the solidified fats and a lid for the box if desired, whereby a convenient and efiicient strainer device is provided which may be separated and cleaned and is thus sanitary.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a strainer cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view .of the cabinet with the drawer being opened, a portion of strainer box being in section and the lid being omitted,

Fig. 3 is a partial, transverse, sectional view of one side of the rear portion of the cabinet,

Fig. 4 is a detail of one form of support for the box, and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing the relation of the lid and box handles.

In the drawing, the numeral Ill designates the rectangular base of a cabinet which is preferably made of sheet metal. The base includes a flat bottom II, which extends forwardly of upright side walls I2 having wings I3 extending forwardly therefrom and terminating at an upstanding front flange !4, rising from the front edge of the bottom. The base also has an upright back Wall I5 (Fig. 3).

A rectangular supporting frame I6 is made integral with the upper edges of the side and back walls and extends across the base at the front ends of the side walls. This frame extends inwardly so as to overhang the bottom II. The upper edges of the wings I3 are disposed, relatively, below the frame and are inclined downwardly to the flange I l. A strainer box II, removably mounted on the frame, is rectangular in shape and has an open bottom and an open top. The box is of such area as to snugly receive the frame I6 in its bottom and to overhang the side walls I2 and back wall I5.

Within the box are a plurality of parallel strainer troughs I8 extending from the front to the rear thereof. These troughs are foraminous and may have any cross sectional shape. In the preferable form shown in the drawing,

each trough is V-shaped in cross-section, is

made of sheet metal and is provided with perforations I9, which may be punched or otherwise formed therein.

The troughs are preferably made of one piece of sheet metal, bent to shape, and suitably fastened in the box. Where the troughs are fastened in the box, their bottoms may rest upon the frame I6 and thus support the box. If desired, angular clips 26 may be secured to the inner sides of the box walls so as to rest upon the frame I6 and support the box and, in such an arrangement, the troughs may be removable from the box. The box is preferably covered by a lid 2 I.

A rectangular drawer 22 is mounted in the base under the strainer box I1 and has a handle 23, whereby it may be pulled forwardly on the bottom II from under the frame I6 between the wings I3 and its contents thus exposed. The extension of the base It is such that when the front end of the drawer engages the flange I4, the rear end of the drawer will remain under the frame I6 and the box II. However, owing to the reduced height of the front flange I 4 and the spacing of the drawer from the frame I6 (Fig. 3), the front end of said drawer may be lifted above the flange and the drawer pulled from the base.

In the drawing I have shown three troughs I8, but it is to be understood that the number of troughs may be varied and the cabinet made in numerous sizes. The drawer is divided into compartments A, B and C by upright partitions 24 underlying the ridges 25 connecting the troughs, whereby each compartment is disposed directly below a correlated trough. When it is desired to use the cabinet, the lid ZI is lifted to expose the troughs I8. To aid in this operation, a short, medial flange or handle 26 is rolled outwardly and downwardly from the upper edge or rim of the rear side of the box. The rear side of the rim of the lid 2| is cut out and a similar flange or handle 21 is rolled upwardly adjacent the flange 26, as is best shown in Fig. 5.

In using the cabinet, the compartments A, B and C and their companion troughs or strainers I8 are individually selected for different types of fats or grease and the term fat or fats is used generically to designate butter fats, shortening, fish or animal greases as fats. As an illustration, thecompartment A and its trough l8 may beused for'fish greases, the compartment 13 and its trough for butter fats, and the compartment C for hog greases. not necessary, to make each compartment the size of a pound block of butter or shortening:

such as is packed in a carton.

The cook after selecting the: proper trough l8 pours the hot liquid fat into saidtroughwhere:

by it is strained through the perforationsvv l 9 into.

the underlying compartment of the drawer 22; These perforations are of *such size as to permit the" free passage of thehot liquid therethrough butto exclude and prevent the passage of solids. The liquid collected in the compartment. will solidify upon cooling and may. be removed as desired. From-timeto time, the strainer box .H'.

is removed and .cleansed.

This cabinet. makes a. convenient. andsimple device for-conservingfood fats-and .greaseswhich are-usually either wastedor poured'into a container in. which all types of fatsand foreign matter-are mixed. By the drawer compartments the different kinds. of fats are segregated and The cabinet is made; available for futuresuse; sanitary because its members may be readily separated and cleansed.

The foregoing description of*the rinvention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size; shape and materials; as well'as-in-the details of the illustrated construction may bemade.-

rality of elongatestrainer. membersjn, the. box

disposed side. by side, adrawerslidableinthe base underlying the box andbeingof consider.-

ably lesslength thanthebasepand adapted to beslid-forwardly on thebase in ,front of the, box .to exposeitscontents, and a: plurality of individual troughst in thedrawer each underlying and, in.

closeproximity to one of the strainer members. 2.: A, strainer cabinet as set forth in claim 1, whereinran upstanding flange is provided across the front of the base in the path of-the drawer for-limiting the outward movement of the drawer. 3. A strainercabinet as set forth in claim 1,

wherein an upstanding flange is provided across.

thezfront of the base in the path of the drawer for limiting the outward movement of the drawer,

It is desirable, but.

4 the flange being of such height as to permit the front end of the drawer to be lifted above it for withdrawing while its rear end is under the box.

4. A strainer cabinet for food fats including, a rectangular base having a front extension and upright side and rear walls, a strainer support removably mounted on the walls of the base and of considerably less length than the base, whereby the base extension extends forwardly of the support, elongate strainers mounted side by side in .the support and having foraminous bottoms, a drawer under the support slidable over the b'asebietween the walls of said base, and a plurality, of individual trough-s in the drawer each underlying one of the strainers, whereby said troughs are exposed when the drawer is pulled outwardly over the base extension.

5. A'strainer cabinet for food fats including, a rectangular base having upright side and rear walls, a rectangular frame mounted on the upper ends of the side and rear walls having a front:

member connecting the medial portions of the side walls, whereby said side walls extend'forwardly from said frame, a strainer box mounted on the frame and spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the front of the base, whereby an appreciable portion ofthe base forwardly of the box is exposed, a drawer having longitudinal compartments and beingof less length than the base so as to be normally slid under the box and to be moved forwardly in the base. to exposeits compartments, and a plurality of troughs extending strainer. bottoms, each strainer bottom directly overlying one of the compartments.

6. Astrainer cabinet forliquidfood fats. in.

cluding, a base having a supporting. frame and -an extension directed forwardly of said frame,.a

strainer box of less lengththan the base havinga plurality of strainer troughs therein removably mounted on the frame, said strainer troughs.

being parallel and each V-shaped in cross-section and being perforated, and a drawer. of lesslength than thebase slidable in the base and its ex-rtension and having compartments normally uni-@- derlying the strainer troughsin close proximity thereto.

ERNEST T. J AMIES;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS longitudinally in the box having; 

